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Square foot gardening is an ideal growing method for gardeners who want to make the most out of their space. To get started, simply divide your space into a series of squares measuring 1 foot on each side, and then plant each square with whatever vegetable you select. While some types of tomato plants may take up four or five of these squares in the garden, by choosing carefully and growing vertically, you can maximize your yields.

Location

Tomato plants have three main requirements: water, drainage and sunlight. A garden site that doesn’t incorporate all three is doomed to failure. Make sure your spot gets six to 10 hours of full sun per day, and have it close enough to water that you can keep your plants irrigated during dry weather. While water is important, if it doesn’t drain away, your tomato plants will rot. If you’re going to plant more than tomatoes, put your tallest plants at the north end of your garden space, so they don’t block the sun from the rest of the garden.

Types

Some types of tomatoes lend themselves better to square foot gardening than others. Look either for vine tomatoes that will grow vertically or small, bushy types that don’t need huge amounts of space. Cherry tomato bushes typically fit nicely into a square foot garden. Try easy-to-grow varieties such as “SunSugar,” “Green Grape” and “Black Cherry.” If you are looking for bigger fruit, “Roma” and “Celebrity” are bushy types that take up more room than cherry tomatoes, but still won’t take over your garden. Vining tomatoes such as “Early Girl” grow on sturdy supports and will use the least amount of ground space. These varieties grow well in a Mediterranean-type climate.

Rotation

Square foot gardening methods make it easy to keep track of what you plant and where you planted it each season. Use this information to rotate your crops into different parts of the garden, thus cutting down on pest and disease problems. Don’t plant your tomatoes in the same place twice, if you can possibly avoid it. Never plant them where eggplants, peppers, strawberries or potatoes have been in the last three years, to minimize the risk of your tomatoes picking up diseases such as verticillium wilt from the soil.

Support

Most tomato plants benefit from some type of support, especially the vining types and those that produce full-sized tomatoes. A tomato cage helps to support tomato bushes, and a sturdy pole set next to a tomato vine lets you grow your tomatoes straight up. According to the square foot gardening guide at Harvest to Table, using a pole makes it possible to grow one vining tomato plant in each square foot. A wire fence or trellis will give you a similar effect. Tie your plants to the support as they grow, being careful not to damage the plants by tying them too tightly.